Italy boss Roberto Mancini has sent out words of encouragement for Mario Balotelli who continues to struggle and remains without a club.
It’s been a tough past year for Balotelli on many angles.
From being the victim of racist chants in the Serie A, the forward saw his relationship with Brescia owner Massimo Cellino strain to the very limit.
Balotelli and the Brescia owner were in a row of words with each other right until the former’s exit from the club.
The Italian forward had to terminate his contract after Brescia were relegated from Serie A last term. They could no longer afford his wages. He came close to joining Gremio over the summer but a deal failed to materialize.
Italy boss Roberto Mancini is well familiar with Balotelli from the national side and way back from Manchester City as well.
The veteran boss has shown some sympathy for the forward who is still on the look-out for a club.
“I’m very sorry, now he’s (Balotelli) 30 and would be at the height of his technical maturity,” Mancini said as quoted by Football-Italia.
“I’m sorry that he’s in this condition and can’t find a team. He hasn’t done well in recent years.”
“The technical qualities he has would have been useful in the national team. I always hope something will happen to him, I love him, I saw him as a kid.”
“Football lends a hand to the more particular, that’s not the problem. A boy must try to understand he has great luck.”
“Your job becomes your favourite game as a child, make the most of it. The career as a footballer is short-lived, apart from [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic.”
Balotelli could only manage five Serie A goals for Brescia last term and could do nothing to save his boyhood club from relegation.